The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1887-02-13


out
The New York sun speaks Of our "loungers" |
statement that President, Cleveland used strong |
language about the Cincinnati Enquirer AS
''oalumnous and wrong" "Wrong, perhaps. |
because our contributor may have been misin- |
formed, hut not "cnlumnious;' that phrase can
not properly be applied to this journal.
1t is to he hoped the next Secretary of the ,
Treasury will I've one not quite so closely CON !
nectcd in interest with the national banks !
The country does not want the old United |
States Bank regime revived under new name. |
Andrew jackson would scarcely have called |
Nicholas Biddle, for instance, to the head OF the
Treasury Department.
The grand closing attempt Of Bells cuunse |
to excite the fearful sympathy Of the Supreme |
Court for his client was the most ridiculous in. |
cident of the telephone cases last week. Bell |
has made an enormous fortune out of his mo
nopoly, has ruihlessly crushed out all compet- |
tors, and has refused To accept the Use of valu-
able and convenient improvements because his
profits would he diminished thereby To cx-
hibit him as poor, persecued wretch, and
compare him to Paissy, Watt, or other martyrs
surdity.
We are glad 10 hear that there is fair pros
pect for the passage of the Joint resolution in
the House changing Inauguration Day from the
Fourth of March to the last Tuesday in April.
This in the Centennial year comes on the day.
the Both of April on which Washington was in-
augurated in 1890 The reasons IN favor of this
change are So many and obvious that public
opinion may he said to be practically unnni-
nous in its behalf 1t adds nearly two months
tu the short sessions Of Congress and brings the
inauguration ceremonies in the most delightful
season of the year.
In another place in our columns will he
found some facts about the present admnistra-
tiuu Of the Pension Office, which show that
while the Republican party has made political
capital out of the pension laws, and has figured
as the soldiers champion, il has remained for
the first Democratic Commissioner of Pensions
to put the most liberal construction upon the
pension laws, and TO free them from some OF
the technical and arbitrary restrictions under
which during Republican rule many worthy
claimants were prevented from obtaining pen
sions To which they Were Justly entitled.
-.
Inc he slilktrh Dcaten, winch
began to appear last week, as the 'longshore-
mems strike drew near its natural death, was
somewhat significant The strikers had seemed
10 have n monopoly of the beating business for
time hut they take their turn as the victims
in general defeat. 1t is hardly likely now that
any strike in which the ating-and-pounding
method is adopted will ever result in any other
way. Public sympathy usually leaves the or
raDiZel wprkmpu and pops plIt he
during these contests. The men who beat
another because he doesn't choose to adopt
their system belong to stage of the world 5
history two or three centuries back They are
out of gear in the United States and the nine
teenth century.
The star suggests that the proposition to re-
peal the charters of existing street railways may
bring the whole subject of traniway transporta-
ton before Congress. And it points ou, that
among the essentials which should he insisted
on are that every car should have n conductor,
every passenger a seat. and that only groovcd
rails should lie used. These things are properly
insisted on, and ought to be required from ex-
isting companies well as from any new ones
which may be created. But they do not reach
the core Of the subject. The only way to fully
reform the existing system is for the city to
condemn the present street railways and have
them managed for the public good. II is use
less to undertake an endless struggle with cor
porations which 10y the law Of their existence
can only consider how to earn dividends for
their stockholders. The only way is to extin-
guish these soullcss creatures In an equitable
manner, and let the Government arrange the
details Of system Of street-passenger carriage
IN the interest of the community as whole
The Senate at least Is aroused to the impor.
tance Of making some preparation for the de-
fense of our coasts. The condition Of this
great nation is similar to that of Persia when
she became the prey Of the Greeks Human
nature is not 70 very different now from what
it was two thousand years ago Nations are still
predatory. Small warlike powers vanquish and
despoil greater powers which are unwarlikc o
unprepared. Our numerous wealthy aud de
fenseess sca-COast cities are standing invita-
,ion 10 the impoverished supporters Of we'll
trained armies and powerfully y-cquipped nayies
The cost Of n considerable war could he lcvict
from them in month from the beginning o
hos'ilites, and our fifty millions Of Willing
hands and brave hearts would DE pOwerlcss t.
avert the disgrace or compel restitution
Questions arising every year out Of which
war may grow The best insurance agans
insult il the ability to defend ourselves. Tn,
condition of the United States, without az
effective ship or cannon, Is a standing disgrace
The House should pass the Senate bills withou
amendment
The committee Of property-owncrs and resi-
dents on Thirteenth street, whose protest agans
the cable scheme appeared N our last issue, yes
terday filed a letter with the Senate Dlstric
tripi,tF u11itfnpn1 NIi
proposed charter ought not to b6 granted
They say:
The rights and wishc, oi priVut" citizens In
matter Of this kind should, It seems 10 us, be rc
spccte1. WchaNc Sgt TO ohelr3i single bona hd
property owner ON Thirteenth street northwest
between und II streets who il not nbsOlutc
opposed 10 the proposed obstruction along nj
street, and there j. abundant evidence ls 10 IN
fraudulent character of such signatures us hay
been obtained in favor Of the project These On
mostly from tenants and servants. and prove thi
petitions may be entirely misleading ms cNpnS
hiOns OF public sentiment,
Assuming that the cable or electric motors wi
eventually replace horsepower ON our tran
ways the routes now occupying me main line
bills before Congress, authority Ia use such in
proved motors, ana n VIII certainly bcncht IN
public NOR" "a get rapid transit Oh thcsr maj
thOrOughiiucs, than 10 grant the privileges %
new streets where tramways are not needed iC
public convenience and are unanimously oi
posed by the pTOperty y-Owncrs most concerned
Finally, any company seeking such vuluah
franchise should bcrcqured In the bill toconiorl
instead OF those now employed. In all the laTl
cities OF Europe, as London, Liverpool, lhrli
Purlt, etc, where truinways have come into gr
gral use, such rail is used, and the trnck form
no obstruction 10 vehicles; for the imilcst bugl
tnu be driven uCross II ~ any nnpl" without 4
convenience, Suchu requirement. u more partic
Iurly needed IN the city of Washington, with
smooth nsphltum puNoinents
The committee also refer to the fact iil
The proposed bill has not been submitted 10 Il
District Commissioners, aud quote their letter
Hon John :. Barbour of May 9th last, In whit
ihey say
upun examining the route of TINS pIOpuN
iOud with reference to other street lalliUat
the Commissioners are OF the opinion that sili
Client facilities are already afforded by cAlstiI
roads In the more important Localities this ru
- Intended 10 accommodate For this Icuso
and because this route also runs on slTCI
where rohds are already IN operation, II srcI
10 the Commissioners that the projectors
the new road should present pOstiyc cvidcn
thnt its establishment viii serve ana cnhull
The public interests and convenience not Otht
wise supplied So lar us tho Commissioners a